ABSP - Hindi

Hindi

Words

achar	a spicy pickle made primarily from mango, used in Indian cooking.
arti aarti	a ceremony in which candles dipped in ghee are lighted and offered to various deities > ARTIS, AARTIS.
achkan	in India, a knee-length coat with a high collar.
aia ayah	an Indian nursemaid.
akhara	a gymnasium.
almirah	a wardrobe, chest of drawers.
aloo alu	a potato.
amadavat avadavat	the strawberry finch, a small Indian song bird, commonly caged and kept for fighting.
ambari ambary	a fibre-yielding plant of E. Indies, aka KENAF.
ankus ankush	a spiked elephant goad.
anna	a low-value copper coin.
argala	the adjutant stork of India. [Hindustani hargila].
arna	the Indian water-buffalo.
bablah babul babool	a species of acacia from which gum arabic is obtained.
baboo babu	a native clerk who writes English; also, a Hindu title answering to Mr. or Esquire.
bael bel bhel	a thorny Indian tree.
bajra bajri bajree	in the Indian subcontinent, pearl millet or a similar grain.
bagh	a garden.
bahu	a daughter-in-law, especially one who lives with her husband's family when married.
baloo balu	a bear.
balti	a spicy Indian dish.
bandana bandanna	a coloured silk or cotton handkerchief or headscarf with white or yellow spots.
bandar	a rhesus monkey.
bandh bundh	in India, a general strike.
bangle	a rigid ring as a bracelet or anklet. [Hind. bangli (orig.) a coloured glass bracelet.]
bania banian banyan	an Indian fig tree with vast spreading branches; a Hindu trader.
bapu	a spiritual father.
barasinga barasingha	the Indian swamp-deer. [Hindi 'twelve horn'].
basmati	a type of long grain rice.
beedi bidi	a hand rolled cigarette > BEEDIES, BIDIS.
beegah bigha	a land measure in India.
begar	in India, forced labour.
bhai	brother; a form of address for a man.
bhajee bhagee bhaji	in Indian cookery, an appetizer consisting of vegetables cooked in batter.
bharal burrel burrell burhel burrhel	a Himalayan blue sheep.
bhelpuri	an Indian dish of puffed rice with onions.
bhindi	OKRA as used in Indian cookery.
bhishti	an Indian water-carrier > BHISHTIS.
bhoona bhuna	a dish saut�ed in oil and a mix of spices.
bhoot bhut	a small whirlwind.
bindi bindhi	a dot worn on the forehead by women in India.
boxwallah	a pedlar; a businessman.
brahman brahmin	a member of the highest Hindu caste.
brahmani	a female BRAHMAN.
brinjarry	a travelling dealer in grain and salt in S. India.
budgero budgerow	a large and commodious, but generally cumbrous and sluggish boat, used for journeys on the Ganges. Pl. BUDGEROS.
bungalow	a lightly-built house, properly one with a veranda and one storey.
bunia bunnia	an (Indian) corn-merchant.
bustee	a flimsy hut, a squatter colony. [Hindi basti].
champac champak champaca	an E. Indian tree of the magnolia family, sacred to Hindus.
chank	a kind of shell, sliced into bangles for Hindu women.
chapati chapatti chappati chupati chupatti	a thin flat piece of unleavened bread.
chappal	a type of open sandal worn in India.
charas churrus	the resinous exudation of hashish, a narcotic and intoxicant.
chatta	an umbrella.
chatti	an earthen pot, porous to keep water cool. Pl. CHATTIS or CHATTIES.
chela	a novice in Buddhism.
chetah cheetah	a hunting cat of Africa.
chik	a slatted blind. [Hindi ciq].
chikara chinkara	an Indian gazelle
chikhor chikor chukar chukor	an Indian partridge.
chillum	the part of a hookah containing the bowl and tobacco-balls. [Hindi chilam].
chital	the axis deer.
chokey choky	a prison.[Anglo-Ind, from Hindi cauki, caukidar].
chokra	a boy; a household or regimental servant.
chokri	a girl; a female household or regimental servant.
choli	a short, close-fitting blouse worn under a sari.
chota	little, as in chota peg, a little drink.
chout	in India, an assessment equal to a fourth part of the revenue, extracted by the Mahrattas as blackmail.
chowk	a marketplace > CHOWKS.
chowri chowry	a whisk to keep off flies, used in the East Indies.
chukka chukkar chukker	a period of play in polo. [Hindi cokkar, a circular course].
chupatty	a thin flat piece of unleavened bread > CHUPATTIES.
churidar	as in CHURIDAR pyjamas, long tight-fitting trousers worn by Indian men and women > CHURIDARS.
chutnee chutney	a warm or spicy condiment or pickle made in India, compounded of various vegetable substances, sweets, acids, etc.
coss koss kos	a measure of distance.
cotwal kotwal	the chief constable of an Indian town.
cowage cowhage cowitch	a leguminous climbing plant of the genus Mucuna, having crooked pods covered with sharp hairs, which stick to the fingers, causing intolerable itching. [Hindi kavach].
crore	an Indian unit of counting: ten million. [Hindi karo].
crorepati	In India, a person whose assets are worth at least one crore or a million rupees.
cummerbund	a waistband, a sash. [Hindi kamarband, a loinband].
cushy	(coll.) easy, comfortable. [Hindi khush, pleasant].
cutcha kacha kachcha kuchcha kutcha	made of dried mud, makeshift.
cutcherry kacheri kachahri cutchery	an Indian magistrate's office or courthouse.
daal dahl dal dhal dholl	an Indian name for a lentil.
dabba	in Indian cookery, a round metal box used to transport hot food > DABBAS.
dacoit dakoit	an Indian bandit.
dacoitage dakoiti dakoity	robbery by DACOITS, gang-robbers.
daftar	in India, an office, esp. a military orderly room; a bundle of documents.
dak dawk	in India, the mail or post; a letter. [Hindi dak, a relay of men].
darga	a structure over a place where a holy person was buried or cremated.
darshan	a blessing conferred by touching or seeing a holy person.
darzi durzi	a tailor.
datura	a genus of solanaceous plants, with large funnel-shaped flowers and a four-celled, capsular fruit. [Hindi dhatura].
decko dekko	(Sl.) a look; (verb) to take a look. [Hindi dekho look (imperative)].
dhak	a leguminous tree of eastern India and Myanmar, with showy orange or red flowers.
dharmsala dharmshala	a building having a religious or charitable purpose, a free or cheap lodging for travellers.
dharna dhurna	a method of collecting a debt in which the person who is owed money sits on the debtor's doorstep until payment is made, or the debtor starves to death.
dhobi	a washerwoman.
dhol	a large cylindrical drum used in Indian music.
dhooly dooly doolee doolie	a kind of litter suspended from men's shoulders, for carrying persons or things; a palanquin.
dhooti dhootie dhoti dhuti	a Hindu loincloth.
dhurrie durrie	a cotton rug made in India.
dixie dixy	a military cooking-pot.
diya	a small oil lamp used in Hindu worship, esp at Diwali.
dobhash	an interpreter. [Hindi dobashi, do (two) + bhasha, language].
doob	a perennial, creeping grass, aka dog's tooth, highly prized, in Hindostan, as food for cattle.
doolally	characterized by an unbalanced state of mind [spoken form of Deolali, India, where British soldiers who had completed their tour of duty were sent to await transportation home].
dopatta dupatta	a silk or muslin shawl.
dopiaza	in India, meat or fish cooked in onion sauce > DOPIAZAS.
dungaree	a heavy coarse durable twilled cotton, usually coloured.
ekka	a small one-horse carriage.
feni fenny	an alcoholic spirit produced in Goa from coconuts or cashew nuts.
ganja ganjah	a resinous form of marijuana.
garial gavial gharial	an Indian crocodile with a long snout. [Hindi ghariyal, crocodile].
garjan gurjun	a thin balsam or wood oil derived from the Diptcrocarpus laevis, an East Indian tree. It is used in medicine, and as a substitute for linseed oil in the coarser kinds of paint.
gaur	a kind of wild ox, aka SELADANG
gayal gyal	an Indian domesticated ox.
gharri gharry	in India, a wheeled vehicle for hire.
ghat ghaut	(in India) a mountain pass; a landing stage; a place for cremation.
ghee ghi	clarified butter.
gherao	(in India) the surrounding or trapping of a person, e.g. an employer in a room or building, till demands are met; (verb) to carry out such an action.
ghubar gobar	as in ghubar numeral, any of a set of numerals forming the stage between ancient Hindu numerals and present-day Arabic numerals.
gingal jingal gingall jingall	a large Chinese or Indian swivel-musket. [Hindi janjal].
gingeli gingelly gingelli gingili jinjili	the sesame seed or its oil. [Hindi jinjali].
gobi	a cabbage or cauliflower.
golconda	a rich source of wealth (from the ruined city of Golconda near Hydebarad, once famous for diamond-cutting).
goonda	a hired thug, esp. one in the hire of a political party.
goor gur	an unrefined cane sugar.
gooroo guru	an Indian term of respect.
gosht	in Indian cookery, meat.
guar	a legume grown for forage and its seeds which yield guar gum.
gunny	a strong coarse jute fabric. [Hindi gani, sack].
gurrah	a coarse Indian muslin. [Hindi garha, thick].
hanuman	a monkey with a bristly face.
hartal	in India, a general strike.
hing	asafoetida, a fetid gum resin.
jaconet	a kind of thin cotton fabric, especially with one side glazed. [Hindi Jagannath (now Puri) in India, its place of origin: cf. JUGGERNAUT.]
jaggary jaggery jagghery jagra	a coarse dark sugar.
jaghir jaghire jagir	in Pakistan, a village or district the government and revenues of which are assigned to some person, usually in consideration of some service to be rendered, esp. the maintenance of troops.
jaghirdar	the holder of a JAGHIR.
jai	victory (to). No —S.
jalfrezi	in Indian cookery, denoting a hot-flavoured dish of meat or vegetables stir-fried with green chillis and spices. No —S.
jawari jowar jowari	Indian millet, aka DURRA.
jodhpur	Usu. in pl.: long riding-breeches, wide around the hips but close-fitting from knee to ankle. [From JODHPUR in India].
kamala kamela kamila	the red dusty hairs of the capsules of an East Indian tree used for dyeing silk. It is violently emetic, and is used in the treatment of tapeworm.
kans	an Indian grass related to sugar-cane.
karait krait	a venomous snake of India.
keddah kheda khedah	an enclosure used for the capture of wild elephants.
kedgeree	a dish of baked fish, boiled rice, and eggs.
keema	in Indian cookery, minced beef.
kellaut khilat khalat killut	a robe of honour.
khaddar khadi	homespun cotton cloth.
khansama khansamah	a house-steward or butler in India.
kharif	a crop sown before the monsoon to ripen in autumn.
khud	in India, a pit, hollow, ravine.
khurta kurta	a loose-fitting Indian tunic.
killadar	the commandant of a fort or garrison.
kirana	in India, a small, usually family-owned shop selling groceries and other sundries.
kisan	a kind of Indian peasant.
kofta	minced and seasoned meatballs.
korma	a mild curry
kukri	a broad curved Gurkha knife.
kumari	Miss (as a title of respect).
kunkar kunkur	a concretionary limestone in India. [Hindi kankar, stone].
lac	a dark red resin.
lakh	a unit of counting: one hundred thousand.
langur	a long-tailed Asian monkey.
lascar	an East Indian sailor.
lashkar	a body of armed Indian tribesmen.
lassi	a drink based on sour milk, popular in the East.
lathee lathi	in India, a heavy stick.
leep	to plaster with cow-dung.[Hindi lipna].
lota lotah	in India, a small brass or copper pot.
lungee lungi lungyi	in India, a long cloth used as a loin cloth, turban etc.
machan	a raised platform, esp. in a tree, to watch for game.
maharaja maharajah	a RAJA over other RAJAS. [Literally, 'great king'].
maharani maharanee	the wife of a MAHARAJA. [Literally, 'great queen'].
mahout	an Indian elephant driver.
mahseer mahsir	a large freshwater fish. [Hindi mahasir].
mahua mowra mowa mahwa	a kind of butter-tree with edible flowers.
mala	a string of beads or knots used in prayer.
mali	one of the gardener class in India.
mandi	a big market > MANDIS.
mandir mandira	a Hindu or Jain temple.
mazhbi	a Sikh of low caste.
mehndi	in India, the practice of painting designs on the hands, feet etc using henna > MEHNDIS.
mela	in the Indian subcontinent, a Hindu festival or fair. [Hindi, from Sanskrit mela, assembly].
memsahib	an Indian honorific, lady sahib.
moong mung	as in moong bean or mung bean, a kind of bean.
moonshee munshi	a secretary, interpreter.
morcha	a hostile demonstration against the government. [Hindi 'entrenchment'].
muggar mugger muggur	a broad-snouted Indian crocodile. [Hindi magar].
mulmul mulmull	a fine, soft muslin.
musth	a state of frenzied sexual excitement. [Hindi masth, intoxicated].
myna mynah	an Asiatic bird. [Hindi maina].
nabob	a European who has amassed a fortune in the East.
nabobess	a female NABOB, a European who has amassed a fortune in the East.
nach nautch	an entertainment in India consisting chiefly of dancing by professional dancing girls.
naik	the rank of corporal in the Indian army.
nainsook	a fine cotton fabric. [Hindi nainsukh].
nala nalla nallah nulla nullah	a ravine, a watercourse. [Hindi nala].
nan naan	a kind of Indian bread.
nautch nauch	an entertainment in India consisting chiefly of dancing by professional dancing girls.
neem neemb nim nimb	an East Indian tree.
nilgai nilghai nilgau nilghau nylghai nylghau	a kind of antelope. [Hindi 'blue cow'].
nizam	the title of the native sovereigns of Hyderabad, in India, since 1719.
nizamate	the office of a NIZAM.
nuzzer	a present to a superior.
omrah	a Muslim lord. [Hindi umra].
oont	a camel.
paan pan	betel leaf.
pachak putchock putchuk	false ginger root.
pachisi parchesi parchisi parcheesi	a game, somewhat resembling backgammon, originating in India.
pagri puggaree pugaree puggree pugree puggery puggry	a turban, a light scarf worn round a hat to keep out the sun.
paisa	an Indian coin, 1/100 of a RUPEE. Pl. PAISE or PAISAS.
pakka pukka pucka	genuine; first-class.
pakora	an Indian dish of chopped vegetables fried in batter.
palas	a leguminous tree of eastern India and Myanmar, the DHAK tree.
palkee palki	a palanquin.
panchayat	five elders, council of five that is the basis for Indian village government.
paneer	a soft white cheese used in Indian cookery.
paratha	a flat round cake of unleavened bread, traditionally eaten as an accompaniment to Indian food.
pargana pergunnah	a division of an administrative district in ZILLAH in India.
parishad	an Indian assembly.
peepul pipul pipal	the bo tree.
petara pitara pitarah	in India, a travelling box for clothes.
phansigar	in the Indian subcontinent: a professional robber and assassin of travellers and others; a Thug.
phut	a sound like a bullet; (verb) to make this sound. [Hindi phatna, to split].
pice	an Indian coin, 1/4 anna. No —S. [Hindi paisa].
pindaree pindari	a mercenary freebooter troublesome in India.
poogye poogyee	the nose flute of the Hindus. [HIndi pugi].
poori puri	in India, a small round cake fried in vegetable oil.
pracharak	in India, a person appointed to propagate a cause through personal contacts, meetings etc.
pujari	a priest.
pultan pulton pultoon pultun	an Indian infantry regiment.
pulwar	a light keelless boat used on the Ganges.
punka punkah	a large palm-leaf fan suspended from the ceiling used esp. in India.
puteli	a flat-bottomed boat used on the Ganges.
puttee puttie	a long strip of cloth wound round lower leg, especially as part of army uniform.
qorma	an Indian dish, a mild curry. Also KORMA.
ragee ragi raggee raggy	a kind of millet.
raita	an Indian dish of chopped vegetables in yogurt. [Hindi rayta.]
raiyat ryot	an Indian peasant.
raiyatwari ryotwari	a system of peasantry in India.
raj	sovereignty, rule
raja rajah	an Indian ruler.
rajpramukh	the head of a state or states union in the Democratic Republic of India.
rana	a Rajput prince.
ranee rani	an Indian queen.
rangoli	a traditional Hindu form of decoration on floors and doorsteps, forming patterns of coloured sand and riceflour.
rasmalai	an Indian dessert made of cheese, milk and almonds > RASMALAIS. [Hindi ras, juice, + malai, skin formed on a hot liquid when it cools].
rath	a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage or chariot.
ratha	a four-wheeled carriage drawn by horses or bullocks.
regar regur	the rich black soil of the Indian subcontinent
reh	an efflorescence of salts on soil in India.
roosa rusa	a kind of East Indian grass from which an aromatic oil is distilled.
roti	a cake of unleavened bread.
rupee	an Indian currency unit.
rupiah	the standard unit of currency of Indonesia.
saag	in Indian cookery, spinach.
sadhana	one of a number of spiritual practices or disciplines which lead to perfection, these being contemplation, asceticism, worship of a god, and correct living.
sahib saheb	an Englishman or other European as addressed or spoken of by Indians.
sahiba sahibah	a lady SAHIB.
sal	a large tree of N. India.
sambar sambhar sambhur sambur	a large deer.
samiti samithi	in India, an organisation or committee of workers.
samosa	a small, fried pastry turnover stuffed with spiced vegetables.
sangeet	a kind of pre-wedding party in a Hindi or Sikh marriage.
sangh	an association promoting unity between different groups in Hindusim.
sannyasi sannyasin sanyasi	a Hindu ascetic or hermit who lives by begging.
sant	in Sikhism, a devout person, a saint.
sarangi	an Indian stringed insrument, played like a fiddle.
saree sari	the principal garment of a Hindoo woman, a long piece of cloth, which is wrapped round the middle of the body, a portion being arranged to hang down in front, and the remainder passed across the bosom over the left shoulder.
sarod sarode	an Indian instrument like a cello.
sarpanch	an elected head of a village council in India. [Hindi sar, head + panca, five].
sarus	a large red-headed crane found from India to the Philippines.
satara	ribbed lustred wool.
sena	in India, an army, esp. used of paramilitary organisations representing various castes.
ser	a unit of weight in India.
shama	an Indian millet-like cereal; an Indian song-bird.
shamiana shamianah shamiyanah	in India, a large tent, awning or canopy.
shampoo	to wash the hair with a special preparation. [Hindi capna to squeeze].
sherwani	in India, a man's knee-length coat buttoning up to the chin.
sissoo	a papilionaceous Indian timber tree or its wood. [Hindi sisu].
sola solah	a spongewood.
soucar sowkar	a Hindu banker.
suba subah	a province in India.
subadar subahdar subedar	a viceroy; provincial governor; sepoy company commander.
sunn	an E. Indian plant with tough fibre used in cordage.
surat	a coarse uncoloured cotton (from Surat, in India).
swami swamy	a Hindu mystic.
tabasheer tabashir	a siliceous substance sometimes found in crude form in hollows of bamboos, used in Eastern medicine.
tabla	an Indian percussion instrument, a pair of small drums.
tahsil tehsil	in India, a division of a district for revenue and certain other purposes.
tahsildar tehsildar	one who administers a TASIL or TEHSIL.
talooka taluk taluka	a large estate; esp. one constituting a revenue district or dependency the native proprietor of which is responsible for the collection and payment of the public revenue due from it. [Hindi ta'alluq, estate].
talukdar	a proprietor of a TALUK, a large estate.
tana tanah tanna tannah thana thannah thanah	a police station.
tanadar thanadar	an officer in charge of a TANA, a police station.
tandoor tandoori	a type of Indian cooking in which meat, vegetables etc. are baked over charcoal in a clay oven.
tangun	a piebald variety of the horse, native of Tibet.
tasar tussor tussore tussar tusseh tusser tussah tussur	a fawn-coloured silk made from wild Indian silkworms.
tava tavah tawa	a griddle in Indian cookery.
teapoy tepoy	an ornamental stand, usually with three legs, having caddies for holding tea.
terai	a wide-brimmed ventilated hat. [From the Tarai, India].
thagi thuggee	murder and robbery by thugs.
thali	a meal consisting of several small meat or vegetable dishes accompanied by rice, bread, etc., and sometimes by a starter or a sweet > THALIS.
thug	a violent ruffian.
ticca	hired.
tika tilak	a red mark on the forehead of Hindu women.
tikka	denoting a dish of meat or vegetables marinated in yoghurt and spices.
til	the sesame plant (source of food and oil).
toddy	the fermented sap of various palm trees. [Hindi tari].
tola	an Indian unit of weight. [Hindi from Skr. tula, weight].
tonga	a light two-wheeled Indian vehicle. [Hindi tanga].
toon	an Indian tree of the mahogany family. [Hindi tun].
topee topi	a tropical pith helmet.
toran torana	in the Indian subcontinent, a sacred Buddhist gateway, consisting of a pair of uprights with one or more (usu. three) crosspieces and elaborate carving.
tulwar	an Indian sabre.
urd	a kind of Indian bean.
vakeel vakil	an Indian agent.
vanda	a tropical orchid. (Hindi vanda, mistletoe).
veranda verandah viranda virando	a roofed gallery, terrace, or open portico along the front or side of a building.
walla wallah	a person who is associated with a particular work or who performs a particular duty or service - usually used in combination.
yojan yojana	in the Indian subcontinent: a measure of distance.
zamindar zemindar	in India, a type of landowner.
zamindari zamindari zemindari zemindary	the jurisdiction of a ZAMINDAR.
zila zillah zilla	an administrative district in India.
zindabad	long live, used in slogans.

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